Block-printing machine



Oct. 15, 1929. L' w. A. K. HARRIS 1,731,896

BLOCK PRINTING MACHINE Filed June 29.` 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l A TTORNE Y.

Filed June 29, 1926 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS CII Patented Oct. 15, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT NOFFICE WILLIAM A. K. HARRIS, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 CARTI-IAGE MILLS INCORPORATED, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO BLOCK-PRINTING MACHINE Application iled .Tune 29,

My invention relates to electrical controls for block printing machines such as are used in the printing of designs on a continuous strip of paint rsurfaced flooring, or in other 'terms ot printing where a closed design 0r pattern is formed in ak series of repeats, requiring an interrupted operation of the printing elements, as applied to the continuous piece moving step by step with relation to them.

It is the object of my invention to provide an electrical control tor the blocks of a printing` machine oit the type noted, which is readily controllable to shift from one length oli' repeat design te another, and which utilizes the simplest type of operation and mechanism.

There have been a number of machines for printing closed pattern devices, chiefly limited to machines for printing rug repeat designs on a continuous piece of linoleum or asphalt saturated telt. These devices, having been universally, so far as I am advised,

mechanical in their timing and operation, have called for expensive installations, hard to keep in proper repair and difficult to adjust for dilierent types of work.

By the use of a master rotary switch, timed to operate with the work feed devicesl of the press, and solenoids, or eleetro-mag nets for tripping the several print block release devices, I obtain a completely adequate, readily changeable press block control, which can be installed on flat block printing machines with a minimum of expense.

Among other things, it is my object to conserve in operations by applying an automatic latch to those blocks which are used for printing the ends of designs, and releasing this latch when the blocks are to print, whereas, with regard to the blocks which are used to print oftener than they are held out, the latch falls open by gravity and is operated to engage the block operating device, so that the machine will trip the latch and release 1926. Serial No. 119,442.

the block, at any cycle of operation when the'lateh is not positively held in place during the tripping period.`

In the printingof rugs, the end border design blocks, for example, will be held out more than they are held in, and the body design blocks will print every time if the blocks are not positively latched by the timing mechanism, ready to be released the neXt time the solenoid power is taken off from the latch, permitting it to fall to open position.

In printing a rug with blocks which are say three feet wide, by twelvefeet long to print a nine by twelve foot rug, using end blocks which contain eighteen inch ends for two adjoining rug designs, there will be one impression of an end block for every three impressions of body blocks, and thus with the body to be printed fed step by step, each body block for the several colors will be lowered to print three successive times, and then held up one time, andthe end blocks for each color will beheld up three times, and printed once, so as to make impressions where the body blocks were not impressed upon the piece,

I attain my objects by that certain construction and arrangement of partsof which a specific example will be described, and the novelty inherent therein, or in equivalents thereof, will be stated in the appended claims.

Inthe drawings Figure l is a side elevation of one of the printv block operating mechanisms, used for the body printing. i

Figure 2 is a likeview of one of the block operating means for end border printing.

Figure 3 is a plan'view of a rug design, marked into zones to indicate body and end printing.` i

Figure et is a side elevation without detail, illustrating one type of flat block printing machine.

Figure 5 is a detail of the switch mecha! nisins for timing the operation, and a diagrammatic view of the solenoid devices.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing two ar-v rangements of contacts.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of one of the contact disks.

Figure 8 is a front elevation of a contact disk for an end block control.

Figure 9 is a perspective of a contact piece.

Figure l0 is a front elevation of a Contact disk for a body block control.

Referring first to the showing of a typical machine to which my invention may be attached. In Figure 4 I show a bed l, over which a sheet of material to be printed is moved in a step by step manner. The printing blocks 2 are carried in frames,v 3, and are,V

lifted and brought down against the work by means of cams 4i, having. shoes 5 entending therefrom, which serve to pull the blocks down against the work.

As shown in Figures l and 2, the blocks are provided with depending arms 6, having notched shoulders 7, into which the latches engage, and anti-friction rollers 8 at the will hold up the block against downward movement, and high enough for its roller to be out of engagement with the proJecting shoe on the cam,

As shown for illustration in Figures 1- and` 2, the latch weight arm tends to pulll into engagement, the latch forl the endvv block, and to hold out of engagement the latch for the body block. If, however, thelatch which swings out of the way, is held in la'tching.positionl past the high point of they cam for the block being latched, then untilthe next operation of the press, they block will:i stay out of operation., even if the latch be released, because the weight of the block will hold the latch in place. Where the latch swings into. place by gravity or a spring, somemeans is required torelease it, in order for theblockto follow the cam downwardly in any instance.

InFigure 5l are shown two latches9, held on shafts 10. The shaftsy have bracketsy l2 y thereon, in which are held the weight arms 11. The weight arms are providedv with weights 13, and are connected each by means of a'hnk'll, pivotally connectedlto the arms,

and also pivotally connected to the cores 15 ofv y the operating solenoids'V 16;

The timing switch device controls the pas` sage of electric currentto the solenoids, resulting in swinging the latch to the left of Figure 5, out of meshing position, as urged by its weight arm, and swinging the latch to the right in said figure to meshing position, from which its weight arm urges it away. From what has been stated, it will be evident that the latch to the left is for use with the leastoperated blocks or in this case end blocks, and the latch to the right is for the most operated or body block.

As shown in Figure 3, the end blocks may be made to` printthe zones A of a design for a rug, for example, serving in this instance for two rugs, and body blocks will print the Zones B of the rugr design. The instance noted of anineby twelve rug can be applied directly to, this outlined print design.

The timing devices are mounted in a frame composed of standards 20, which journal a shaft 2l, on which the contact disks are mounted. Segmental mounting plates 22 are arranged. on the standards at the two ends of the shaft, to mount the contact brushes. In the upper corners of the segmental mounting plates are arranged two rods 23, and 24, and the brushes are set over these rods. rIhe brushes have bodies 25, arranged to slide over the rods, and to be clamped in set position with set screws, and on the bodies are conductive lingers 26, say of copper strip, which engage the peripheries of thel contact disks. Tjhe contacts on one rod form the terminalsfor one side of separate circuits to the several solenoids, and the cont-acts on the other rod serve as the other terminals. Thus, when the brushes are bridged by conductive strips on the peripheries of the Contact disks, circuits are closed to the solenoids of the pairs of brushes bridged. As in any such arrangement, one side of each circuit may be to a ground connection,

The disks are formed of fibre bodies 27, held. between metal or fibre plates 28, which plates are apertured to be arranged over the shaft 2l. The contacts proper are in the form ofplates 29 on the peripheries ofthe disks, the plates being longer 'for the body block controls than for the end block controls in machines of the type illustrated, as suitable for use with my invention. This feature is arranged for use with the particular machine, and is not necessary in other types of machines to provide this particular arrangement.

On each disk, as the plate 29 terminates, there is a step 30 in the periphery of the disk, so that a quick break is provided for the operation of the rotary switch, composed of'each disk, and its two wiping or contact lingers.

The drive for the timing switch element comes in the illustration from the shaft 31,

which is driven with the feed for the ma` llo lili

menace terial, cams.

and the block lowering and raising This slia'lt has a `gear 32, meshing with a 33, on shaft @n the shaft 34 is a gear 85. The gear 35 engages the gear 3S on the shaft oi the timing switch.

The gear can also drive a companiim set oi switches as indicated in Figure o, which may be sol, 'for a dil'ferent speed oi operation and a dili'erent timing'. In this instance the gear 35 is mounted on an arm 35" and is planetary of the gear 35.

the printing oi shorter units, it is necessary to drive the tin'iing switches more rapidly with relation to the feed of the material than with longer units, since the units to be printed are shorter, and a single complete revolution et the switch must cover a control for each printing cycle, and the switch must be back to starting position in less time than when longer units and more impressions are to be made. Thus, when using one split end block, and one body block, the timing switch disk for the end block will have to revolve one full revolution for each two steps ot movement, whereas with three body blocks, and one end block, it will have to revolve once in every four printing periods.

rlhis change is readily accomplished by means of gears to be changed on the time ihatt, since the planetary gear can be swung into mesh with any sized gear on the said time shaft.

Having thus described a typical instance of use of my invention, what I claim as novel in the invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In a block printing machine having means for raising and lowering a seriesot` printing blocks, latches to hold said print blocks out of operation, electrical devices to control the movement of said latches, and a master switch driven with the said printing machine, and connected to -control the iow of current to said electrical devices, said master switch comprising a series of rotary contacts, said contacts constructed as disks on a shaft having in their peripheries conductive plates ot less length than said peripheries, and conductive fingers arranged to engage said disks, and arranged in pairs for each disk, whereby the conductive plates on the disks close a circuit between said fingers.

2. In a vflat block printing machine, the combination ot a series of print blocks, means for raising and lowering said blocks, latches for the blocks to hold them out of operation, means urging the latches of blocks which are to be printed infrequently to latching position, and means urging the latches of the blocks which are to be printed frequently to unlatching position, and a master control element driven with the drive for the blocks, and connected to periodically unlatch the one set oi latches, and periodically hold the other set in latching position, said master control element beingconstructed as a master elec-r trical switch and electrical devices for acting upon the latches.

3. In a tlat block printing machine, the combination ot a series of print blocks, means for raising and lowering said blocks, latches :tor the blocks to hold them out of operation, means urging the latches o'll blocks which are to be printed infrequently to latching position, and means urging the latches ot the blocks which are to be printed frequently to nnlatching position, and a master control ele ment driven with the drive for the blocks, and connected to periodically unlatch the one set of latches, and periodically hold the other set in latching position, said master control element being formed as a rotary switch, comprising a series of rotary contact members, and contact lingers engaging the same, one disk and contact finger assembly serving to control the latching of each block.

4f. In a flat block printing machine, the combination ot a series ol print blocks, means for raising and lowering said blocks, latches for the blocks to hold them out of operation, means urging` the latches oi blocks which are to be printed infrequently to latching position, and means urging the latches of the blocks which are to be printed frequently to unlatching position, and a master control element driven with the drive for the blocks, and connected to periodically unlatch the one set of latches, and periodically hold the other set sei in latching position, said master control element being formed as a rotary switch, comprising a series of rotary contact members, and contact fingers engaging the same, one disk and contact linger assembly serving to control the latching of each block, and means for rotating contact members as a unit, once for each complete cycle of printing successive closed end patterns, in which the infrequently moved blocks form the ends.

5. In a Hat block printing machine, the combination of a series of print blocks, means for raising and lowering said blocks, latches for the blocks to hold them out of operation, means urgime` the latches of blocks which are to be printed infrequently to latching yposition, and means urging the latches of the blocks which are to be printed frequently to unlatching position, and a master control ele- Y ment driven with the drive 'for the blocks, and connected to periodically unlatch the one set of latches, and periodically hold the other set in latching position, said raising and lowering means being so arranged that during the preliminary downward movement of the locks, they are released to move by gravity, whereby a holding ot an automatically opening latch in latching position, as stated above,

will result in the latch holding the block out ot operation, the raising of the block back from said gravity engagement with the latch will release the latch to move to its automatic open position. said master control element being formed as a rotary switch comprising;- a series of rotary Contact members, and Contact ingers engaging the same, one disk and conmet finger assembly serving to control the latching of each block, and means for rotating said Contact members as a unit, once for each complete cycle of printing successive closed end patterns, in which the infrequently moved blocks form the ends.

WILLIAMv A. K. HARRIS. 

